2 Unlimited - No Limit | Lead Synth Patch Remake

Remaking the lead synth from the 1993 song "No Limit" by 2 Unlimited can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "No Limit" lead patch and play this iconic sound on most hardware or software subtractive synthesizers (Serum, Vital, Pigments, Prophet, Korg, Moog, etc). We've included the preset download directly for your convenience, but we strongly recommend you use our programming tutorial to recreate it yourself.

Original Audio

The lead synthesizer sound in 2 Unlimited’s “No Limit” is a prominent element that kicks in at 0:07, characterized by a big, detuned techno lead. This sound is reminiscent of early 1990s dance music and is likely generated using a single synthesizer patch. The detuned quality gives the track its distinctive edge and contributes to its energetic and catchy nature.

Our Remake of The Lead Synth sound

This audio clip is how close we've matched the original tone of the lead synth from the song "No Limit" by 2 Unlimited, giving you a reference point as you design your own synthesizer preset. Play it as often as you need to familiarize yourself with the nuances of the sound.

Synth Patch Programming Recipe

Getting Started

• Start by initializing your synthesizer to a plain saw with no filter, modulation or effects. For soft synths use the "init"/"default" preset or the the button to reset allx parameters to their default factory values.
• No two synths are exactly alike, so treat the values below as approximate, and use your ear.
• Percentage values (e.g. 50%) represent the relative position of a knob or slider within its full range. The full range of each parameter may differ from synth to synth, so use your ear.

Voices

• Voice Mode: Mono

Oscillator Setup

Oscillator 1

• Mix: 71%
• Wavetable: Default Saw
• Routing: Filter 2
• Random Phase: 30%
• Unison Voices: 16
• Unison Detune: 18%
• Unison Stereo Spread: 100%
• Morph:
• Spectral Morph Amount: 19%
• Spectral Morph Type: High Pass

Oscillator 2

• Mix: 71%
• Wavetable: Default Saw
• Routing: Filter 2
• Random Phase: 82%
• Transpose: -12 st
• Unison Voices: 16
• Unison Stereo Spread: 100%
• Morph:
• Wave Morph Amount: 14%
• Wave Morph Type: RM <- Osc 1
• Spectral Morph Amount: 12%
• Spectral Morph Type: High Pass

Oscillator 3

• Mix: 18%
• Wavetable: Basic Shapes
• Wave Frame: Thin Pulse (position 256)
• Routing: Filter 1
• Transpose: -12 st

Sample Oscillator

• Sample: White Noise
• Routing: Effects
• Level: 5%

Filter Settings

Filter 1

• Filter Mix: 100%
• Model: Analog
• Style: 12dB Slope
• Blend: Low Pass (0)
• Cutoff: 57% (553.736 Hz)
• Resonance: 1%
• Keytrack: 100%
• Modulations:
• Env 2 → Cutoff

Filter 2

• Model: Analog
• Style: 12dB Slope
• Blend: High Pass (2)
• Cutoff: 48% (284.091 Hz)
• Resonance: 30%

Envelope Settings

Envelope 1 (Amp)

• Attack: 11 ms
• Decay: 214 ms
• Sustain: 72%
• Release: 347 ms
• Decay Curve: Logarithmic
• Release Curve: Logarithmic

Envelope 2

• Attack: 2 ms
• Decay: 271 ms
• Sustain: 51%
• Release: 232 ms
• Decay Curve: Logarithmic
• Release Curve: Logarithmic
• Routed to:
• Filter FX Cutoff (64%)
• Filter 1 Cutoff (59%)
• EQ Band Gain (20%)

Effects Processing (Ordered)

Chorus

• Voices: Default (16)
• Sync: Default (Tempo)
• Tempo: Default (4/1)
• Depth: Default (50%)
• Delay 1: Default (2.0 ms)
• Delay 2: Default (7.8 ms)
• Feedback: 0%
• Mix: 15%
• Cutoff: 1422.8 Hz
• Spread: 0.39

Compressor

• Mode: Default (Multiband)
• Mix: Default (100%)
• Attack: 100%
• Release: Default (50%)
• Low Values
• Low Gain: 16 dB
• Low Upper Ratio: 90%
• Band Values
• Band Gain: 12 dB
• Band Upper Ratio: 86%
• High Values
• High Gain: 16 dB

Eq

• Low Cutoff: 146.210 Hz
• Low Resonance: 21%
• Low Gain: -15 dB
• Band Cutoff: 858.741 Hz
• Band Resonance: 32%
• Band Gain: -5 dB
• High Cutoff: Default (2637.020 Hz)
• High Resonance: Default (32%)
• High Gain: -5 dB

Filter Fx

• Mix: Default (100%)
• Model: Analog
• Style: 12dB Slope
• Blend: Low Pass (0)
• Cutoff: 65% (966.63 Hz)
• Resonance: 1%
• Keytrack: 100%

Reverb

• Mix: Default (25%)
• Size: 100%
• Chorus Amount: 5%
• Chorus Frequency: Default (0.250 Hz)
• Time: Default (0.000 s)

Modulation Matrix

• Envelope 2 → Filter FX Cutoff 64%
• Envelope 2 → Filter 1 Cutoff 59%
• Envelope 2 → EQ Band Gain 20%
• Note Tracking → EQ Band Cutoff 60%

Note: the patch settings may slightly differ in the Syntorial challenge.

Explore More

• No Limit by 2 Unlimited (Wikipedia)
• 2 Unlimited – No Limit – How to Play Piano Melody (YouTube)
• Famous Sounds – SynthMania (SynthMania)
• No Limit by 2 Unlimited Chords, Melody, and Music Theory Analysis (Hooktheory)

Preset Downloads

Don't want to learn synth programming now? Use our synth preset as your starting point and tweak it from there. Register an account with Audible Genius and download the presets for free for the following synths:

• Vital